Salt Lake Mayor Deedee Corradini could be accused of a lot of things, but disloyalty isn't one of them. Her "mercy firings" of the city's police chief, fire chief and economic development director last week guaranteed them a decent severance. It also signaled the end of an era.
Corradini, who leaves office in January, will be remembered for many things. The bold way she was willing to hire the people she felt were best for the job ought to be one of them. It may be lost in the recesses of public memory, but her decision to bring in Ruben Ortega to head the police department was a ground-breaker.Until then, most Salt Lake City mayors had looked locally to fill jobs like that. Corradini went beyond the state's borders and assembled an impressive wish list of people. Ortega, the former police chief in Phoenix, was being considered for the same job in Los Angeles. Salt Lake City didn't have enough money to compete with Los Angeles, but Corradini managed to lure Ortega out of retirement with the thought of heading a department in the hub of a fast-growing metro area.
Ortega's tenure hasn't always been easy. He clashed with police union leaders. But recent polls show city residents are happy with the department, and the crime rate is trending downward.
Corradini brought in other outsiders, as well, including Catherine Hoffman, the city's first female public works director. But she wasn't afraid to look locally, as well. Fire Chief Tom Tallon was deputy chief of operations in the department. Stuart Reid, the economic development director who lost the most recent race for mayor, was a city councilman.
By firing them, Corradini made sure they will receive a month's worth of salary for every year they served the city. She also made their departures a little easier than if they had been axed by the new mayor. This way, they leave with a unquestionable expression of thanks.